Abstract
This article reads the Resident Evil film franchise (2002, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2012) through theoretical work on the spatial strategies of neocapitalism, arguing that the films visualize abstract theories of spatial production and control. Throughout the franchise, virtualized and falsifed experiences of space are shown to effectively manage human subjects, and the repeated use of simulations and clones highlights the reproducibility of both space and its occupants. The work of Henri Lefebvre is here employed to examine these representations, in particular his writing on the ‘abstract space’ upon which capitalist society relies. In such space, Euclidean emptiness and uniformity replace embodied geographies and histories, and human action is carefully proscribed and managed. The article uses textual and narrative analysis to show how the Resident Evil flms explore such neocapitalist spatial strategies and argues that the franchise repeatedly and forcefully reminds viewers that seemingly neutral or taken-for-granted spaces might in truth be controlled and functionalized spatial productions.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 477-488 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Continuum-Journal of media & cultural studies |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Early online date | 13 May 2016 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2016 |
Keywords
- Henri Lefebvre
- abstract space
- cinematic space
- Resident Evil